I think you are giving our division opponents MUCH more credit then they deserve. We will have more talent than UNC, GT, Duke, NCST, Boston College, Virginia Tech (yeah I said it), Virginia, USF, Bethune Cookman, Kansas St (yep said that **** too)..
only teams that have equal or more talent will be FSU and Notre Dame...
if half of those less than a TD losses goes our way with those lesser teams that should EASILY put us at 8.
I think you are overrating our talent a bit but let's dig a little deeper. FWIW I'm expecting Vernon to leave also and have a feeling RRA won't be either.
Bold guys are returning players who have seen some action. Others are newcomers or RS.
DE:
Chickillo, Green . Williams and the new FR will compete
DT:
Smith, Porter, Grimble, Pierre, Ojomo(?) . Robinson returns. King, Alexis and FR
LB:
Gaines, Cain, Perryman, Buchanon(?) . Paul, Johnson, and FR
CB:
McGee, Finnie . DJohnson, Payne, and FR
S:
VT, Highsmith, Rodgers . Crawford, Armbrister and Fr.
That defense is downright scary. DE, S, CB is a nightmare. LB isn't in great shape. DT, a position that has been talked about for a long time as being in bad shape, is where we have the most experienced numbers. If there is all this talent it is certainly young because here are our upperclassmen:
Green, Smith, Porter, Ojomo, Gaines, Cain, Buchanon, McGee, VT, Highsmith, Rodgers. How many of those guys are talented difference makers?